Samsung seems serious about getting Android Pie, and more importantly, its new One UI interface in the hands of beta testers as soon as possible. The Korean manufacturer made its beta software for One UI available to Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ users Thursday. The beta program is in preparation for the official Android Pie/One UI rollout, which is expected in January 2019.
Samsung announced One UI at its Developer Conference keynote last week. While the new software was developed to work in tandem with Samsung’s upcoming foldable smartphone, it will also work with current and upcoming flagships that have rigid displays. Highlight features for One UI include its task-centric design for app icons and layouts and a new night mode. The update also includes Samsung’s November 2018 security patch.
How to install the Samsung One UI beta
Those who are already apart of Samsung’s beta program can check for the Android Pie/One UI update by accessing Settings > Software Update > Download updates manually on a Galaxy S9 handset. Those who are not registered for Samsung’s beta program can do so by accessing the Samsung+ or Samsung Members app at the Galaxy Apps store or the Google Play Store and enrolling into the program.
The Android Pie/One UI beta program will be available to Galaxy S9 users in the U.S., U.K., China, France, Germany, India, Poland, South Korea, and Spain. A user in Korea was among the first to share his beta update on social media. The U.S. program is now confirmed to be open, while users in the U.K. and Germany may have to wait until at least November 20 to install the Android Pie/One UI beta.
S9 Plus Android pie beta time #androidpie #GalaxyS9Plus pic.twitter.com/ZZ8wfFngJm
— Jtinseoul (@jtinseoul) November 15, 2018
Users will likely want to back up their Galaxy S9 data before installing the beta software. Using Samsung’s Smart Switch is a good method for backing up device data, as reverting back to Android Oreo will require users to wipe their handsets back to factory settings.